Not everyone agrees with my take, but it -- and the other subjects we've been throwing around lately -- adds to a series of compelling and provocative conversations that between the whole lot of us. It's a great give and take. And like the aforementioned Tweeter said, it's addictive!

AAPL not only provides the ultimate battleground, it will be, as it has been for several years now, the most exciting stock to watch in 2013.

Here are the most important things we should pay attention to once Ryan Seacrest (yeah, not Dick Clark!) rings in the New Year.

Apple TV . Obvious yes, but that doesn't make it any less significant.

Apple dominates because it provides an awesome and addictive user experience. That means great hardware where -- and, yes, I know this is controversial -- the software or the content comes in second fiddle. Don't get me wrong, I love Apple's ecosystem, but without the beautifully-designed devices they're simply not as dominant of a player as they have become.

iStayingPower. If you're prudent, you have no choice but to approach Apple's future beyond the forthcoming holiday quarter with caution. That means you should probably start from the premise that Tim Cook cannot come up with "the next big thing."

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

If he comes through in Jobsian fashion, fantastic. If not, you have to have a handle on the contingency plan for not only continued success, but, more importantly, continued dominance.

You see how tough it is for AAPL to maintain anything that even resembles a lofty level. That's because there's a confidence problem. That's why AAPL sells off, but Amazon.com (AMZN) does not.

After the holiday numbers come in, we'll need to find a way to assess demand for the remainder for 2013, acting as if there's nothing revolutionary set to burst from the pipeline. Up until the past few months, Apple has been excellent at providing a bridge between new products. That didn't happen, to some extent, last quarter.